As the busy travel season approaches, Google Maps has introduced new features to enhance the experience of exploring national parks. These new features are designed to assist park visitors in planning their trip and navigating within the park, aiming to provide a seamless and convenient experience for outdoor enthusiasts.
New Google Maps features
First, Google Maps now offers a more comprehensive view of park hiking trails. Instead of just dropping a pin on a trail, Maps displays the entire trail route on the map, giving users a visual overview of the path they will be taking. Furthermore, users can scroll through photos of the trail, allowing them to gauge the level of difficulty and scenery before embarking on their adventure. It also shares whether the trail is best for walking, running or biking.
Second, Google Maps has improved its directions within national parks for better navigation. When searching for a park or a specific hike, Maps now provides more precise directions, guiding users to the park entrance or the starting point of the trailhead. Park entrances will also be highlighted on the map. This feature helps users save time and avoid confusion, ensuring a smooth experience while exploring the park.
Another notable new Google Maps feature is the offline map download feature. National parks, especially in the United States, often have poor cell reception, which can hinder the ability to use Google Maps for navigation. To address this challenge, Google Maps now allows users to download entire park maps with just a single click, making it possible to access park data without a stable internet connection. This feature is handy for hikers who venture into remote areas with limited cellular coverage.
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So uh, yeah… How do we access these features? I have the latest update of Google maps and don’t see any changes when searching for, say, Rocky Mountain National Park.
Woulda been pretty useful to include this info in the article. :/
How can this work if no cellphone coverage is available?
Zoomed in on several Bryce canyon trails I have hiked. No details at all. How does this work?
Hmmm, … amazing. Yet, despite living in our house since it was completed in January 2018, Google Maps’ directions to our house require going off-road from a nearby private road to reach our house. We prefer to simply use our own driveway (a different private road) to reach our house without ever going off-road. Moral of story: never rely solely on Google Maps for anything.